From Rye Fields to Dark Mansions
by Eternal Night Owl
Summary: All Russia ever wanted was a family, no matter what he had to do. All Lithuania wanted was to be left alone in peace. When Lithuania is taken away from his best friend and the life he had always known, he is forced to adapt and form new friendships. (Not a RusLiet fic)
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia**

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"Yay, I won! Russia's the strongest!" The personification of Russia jumped up and down in glee. He looked down at the two nations he just defeated, both on the ground, tired and bruised. The blond one looked as though he might be unconscious, while the dark haired one, Lithuania, met Russia's gaze, his eyes full of pain and defeat. Russia thought back to the first time he met the smaller nation, promising to be his friend once he grew strong and powerful. And now he was.

He knelt down to help the brunet up and smiled at him. "Aww, you look smart, so I'll let you stay at my house!"

"Eh?" said Lithuania, with a look of horror on his face. However, Russia was so ecstatic at the thought of gaining a new friend that he didn't notice.

"You lost, so you have no choice, right?" Russia said. This, however, only made the Lithuanian panic and start to struggle. He desperately reached out to his partner as Russia started pulling him along.

"No! I don't want to!" he cried out desperately. "Poland, please wake up!"

The personification of Poland slowly stirred and looked up at the nation who was crying out his name. His face broke out into a lazy grin.

"Oh my God, your face is so funny right now!" he laughed, his head propped up by his hands. Lithuania continued to cry out and struggle, but to no avail. The Russian was too strong, and it didn't look like Poland was going to help him out anytime soon.

The larger man continued to drag him away, paying no attention to Lithuania's desperate attempts to escape, aside from the iron grip he had on his left arm to prevent him from escaping. It was killing him, and every time he tried to escape it felt like his arm was being ripped from the socket. Every further step only caused him agony. Eventually, realizing that it was no use, he stopped struggling and Russia eased his grip a little. As they continued to trudge through the snow, the combination of the cold and pain sapped the energy from his body as he desperately tried to keep up with the long strides of the taller man.

The Russian was still as happy as could be, going on about what great friends they would be and how wonderful it was that Lithuania would be living with him now. Lithuania, on the other hand, was anything but happy. Not only did he just get taken over and lose his closest friend, but said friend let him go willingly, even laughing at him as he was taken away. That alone hurt more than every single pain in his body combined.

"We are going to have much fun together, da? You, me, Estoniya and Latviya, my sisters, we will all be one big family!" Russia cheered. Hearing the names of Estonia and Latvia caught Lithuania's attention. So, Russia was taking them as well? He couldn't say he was surprised. He wasn't especially close to them when they lived with him and Poland, but they got along well enough. It might be nice to see some familiar faces.

Eventually they made their way through the cold and snow and reached the mansion that Russia called home. It was one of the largest buildings that Lithuania had ever seen. The inside was equally impressive, with a couch, multiple chairs, and a gigantic fireplace in the living room. When they entered, Russia and Lithuania were greeted by four people. A tall, busty woman with tears in her eyes sitting on a large white couch, a shorter girl in a blue dress that Lithuania recognized as Belarus sitting next to her, and off in the corner were Estonia and Latvia, both who started shaking when they saw Russia enter though the front door. The tall woman ran over to embrace Russia, tears streaming down her face.

"Oh brother, I was so worried when you went off to fight! I'm glad you made it home!" she cried into his chest. Russia, looking slightly uncomfortable, awkwardly patted her on the head.

"I missed you too, Ukraine."

This did not seem to make Belarus very happy. Her eyes narrowed as she stalked towards her siblings, a knife in her hand. Russia's eyes widened a little and he slowly backed out of Ukraine's embrace, only to be glomped by the shorter girl.

"Big Brother, you should know better than to go places where I can't protect you," Belarus said, snuggling closer to Russia. After a minute, she took notice of Lithuania's presence, and her expression immediately darkened.

"Did you try to hurt Big Brother?" she asked, her voice low and menacing. She walked over and held her knife up against his throat, and Lithuania slowly started to back away, frightened by her intensity. Despite his fear, he couldn't help but to notice that she was quite attractive.

Russia gently pulled her away from Lithuania. "Little sister, that is no way to treat a new family member." He glared down at her, causing her to begrudgingly put away her knife.

"Now everyone, this is Litva, and he will be staying with us. Estoniya, Latviya, why don't you show him to his room?" he looked toward the shaking nations. Estonia quickly got up, with Latvia following behind him. When they were out of earshot from Russia and his sisters, Lithuania turned toward the duo.

"Why did he call me Litva?" Lithuania asked. Estonia turned to him and adjusted his glasses.

"It's Russian for Lithuania sir," he explained. "Mr. Russia insists on calling us by our names in Russian, now that we are living in his house." _Well, that might take a little getting used to,_ he thought.

"Um, thank you. But you do know that you don't have to call me 'sir' anymore, right? I'm no longer your boss."

"What would you like us to call you then?" asked Latvia, who had been pretty quiet up until this point.

"Just call me Lithuania," he answered. They stopped when they reached a tiny room.

"Is this my room?" Lithuania asked. He looked around. There was a small dresser off to the side where he could keep his clothes and few belongings, along with a fairly small bed on the opposite side. It might be a little cramped, but not as bad as he feared. Estonia and Latvia exchanged a look before Estonia turned back to Lithuania.

"Actually, it's our room." The Lithuanian stared back at Estonia for a minute before turning back to said room. This was supposed to be shared by three people?

"There's only one bed," he remarked. Lithuania was used to sharing beds, he and Poland used to do it all the time, but this bed was pretty small, and he wasn't as familiar with the two Baltics. It would definitely be a little awkward at first.

As the Lithuanian went inside to get a better look, he accidentally hit his arm on the side of the door. He really just brushed against it, but that was enough. A shot of pain ran through him. He let out a small hiss and the two other Baltics looked at him with concern.

"A-are you alright?" asked Latvia in a small voice.

Lithuania was just about to lie and say he was fine when another wave of pain ran through him and he gasped. Concerned, Estonia and Latvia gently led him to the bed and told him to lay down.

Estonia slowly tried to roll up Lithuania's sleeve to get a better view, much to the displeasure of the Lithuanian. It was the same arm that he had injured earlier that day.

"Hmm, it might be broken," said the Estonian. "I'll try to find something to help set it. Mr. Russia probably won't mind if you just take it easy for today." Lithuania gave him a weak smile which looked closer to a grimace.

"Thank you, you didn't have to do all of this," said Lithuania. After all he went through today, he was grateful for all the help he could get.

"It's no problem." Estonia then left the room to go find something to help Lithuania's injury.

Now alone, Latvia looked up at the brunet with wide eyes. "Did you and Mr. Poland really go up against Russia?" he asked. "Is he going to be living with us too, now?" The mention of Poland soured Lithuania's mood, and he glared at the smaller nation.

"Don't talk to me about Poland! He's a traitor and..." He let out a sigh, "No, I don't think so. Actually, I probably won't be seeing him again." A frightened look appeared on Latvia's face.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you angry!" his eyes were wide with panic. "I-I just thought you were really brave. Russia is such a big, strong country." Latvia looked down at his shoes. "He scares me."

Lithuania sighed. He didn't mean to snap like that, especially at Latvia who didn't do anything wrong and was so easily frightened anyway. The combination of everything he went through today had just made him a little on edge.

"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you." He gave what he hopped was a reassuring smile. Hesitantly, Latvia moved closer and sat down next to Lithuania.

"It's okay. Sometimes I speak before thinking." He fidgeted a little. "I-If you don't mind me asking, what do you mean when you said that you won't be seeing Mr. Poland again?" His eyes suddenly went as wide as dinner plates. "H-he isn't dead, is he?"

That question made Lithuania pause for a second. The last time he saw Poland, he was alive, yes, but hardly in the best condition. He was lying on the ground, barely conscious, in below freezing temperatures, and it didn't look like anyone was coming to save him. Could it be possible…?

Of course not! This was Poland after all, the phoenix who rises from the ashes. He always manages to get himself out of bad situations, one way or another.

"No, he isn't dead. All I meant was that Russia probably won't let me visit." He didn't want to worry him about something that might not even be true, and didn't feel like explaining everything that happened anyway.

Just then, Estonia made his way back to the room, with a first aid kit.

"Mr. Russia says it's fine if you just take the day off in here," he said.

He sat next to Lithuania on the edge of the bed "Now, let me see your arm," he commanded.

Reluctantly, the Lithuanian complied. He winced when touched, but was able to stay relatively still until Estonia set his arm with a makeshift sling.

After the most serious injury was taken care of, Estonia went to work on cleaning up the various cuts and scrapes on Lithuania's body. Latvia tried to help some too, but got a little woozy at the sight of blood. After Lithuania was all patched up, the other two Baltics left to work on their chores.

* * *

It was now night, and Estonia and Latvia were back. They changed into their pajamas, with Lithuania getting some help from Estonia, and hopped into bed. The other two Baltics let Lithuania take the left side, and tried to give him as much space as possible due to his arm. After they fell asleep, Lithuania couldn't help but to think about Poland.

As angry as he was at him for what he could only call betrayal, he couldn't help but feel worried. After all, it wasn't easy to let go of the one person who had been by his side for centuries, and he didn't want to see Poland dead. But when would he find out if he made it? _Would_ he ever find out? Would he get to see him again if he did live? Memories of the times they shared together plagued him as he lied there in the dark waiting for sleep to come. His thoughts were interrupted when he saw Latvia embracing Estonia in his sleep, a peaceful expression on both their faces that contrasted with the frightened ones they always wore while awake. He couldn't help but smile a little at the sight.

At the very least, he wouldn't be alone.

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 **So, the second chapter should be up soon, maybe tomorrow or the next day, and then we'll see where we go from there. As usual, thanks for reading :)**


	2. Chapter 2

" _Ugh, I'm bored, Liet. Are we done yet?" Poland whined. It was late summer, which meant scorching temperatures and a deadline to harvest all of their crops. Lithuania put down his basket and wiped his brow. He had filled over twenty so far, which wasn't bad for not even a full day's work. The blond, on the other hand had barely filled five._

 _"_ _Poland, we need to finish this before it gets too cold. You want to eat this winter, don't you?" Lithuania asked. The Polish man let out a dramatic sigh._

 _"_ _It's soo hot out," he complained. "Can't we at least take a break?" He plopped himself on the ground, an in exasperated motion, and crossed his arms over his chest._

 _"_ _You barely filled up five baskets," Lithuania pointed out. "How about this: once you've gotten up to ten, we can take a break." He held out his hand to help the blond up. Poland let out another exasperated sigh and reluctantly took the taller man's hand._

 _"Fine."_

 _They worked in silence for awhile, with the exception of dramatic sighs and other sounds of discontent coming from Poland every few minutes. Despite his best efforts to concentrate on his work, it eventually got to the point where Lithuania gave up and agreed to let them both take a break._

 _"_ _Want to play hide and seek?" asked Poland. Lithuania gave him a strange look._

 _"_ _Aren't we a little too old for that?" In answer, the blond man snorted._

 _"_ _You're never too old to, like, have fun. Come on, you have to close your eyes and count to ten, no wait, a hundred, and then, like, try to find me." The brunet looked back at the smiling man and just decided to go with it. After all, what harm could it do?_

 _"_ _Okay," he agreed. He turned around and put his hands over his eyes. "One, two, three…" He heard muffled giggling and footsteps grow softer and fade away. He continued to count as he felt a slight breeze in the air._

 _Once he got to one hundred, he lifted his hands and opened his eyes. He shaded his face from the sun with his hand and scanned the fields in both directions to see if he could find any sign of the blond man, but came up with nothing._

 _As he looked around, he couldn't help but note that this would be harder than he thought. Sighing, he started to walk in the direction he thought he heard Poland go._

 _Just to his right, he heard laughing and the rustling of the rye crops. He ran over in that direction, hoping to catch Poland and get back to work, when he was only met with more of the golden field._

 _Now to his left, he heard laughter again, only this time in sounded slightly off. Again, he ran towards its direction, when he felt a sudden chill run down his spine. It might have been his imagination, but it suddenly felt much colder than it did a minute ago. Instead of sweating from the sun beating down on him, he started to shiver as he hugged his arms to his chest. He stopped when he saw a shadow._

Yes, I got you! _he thought as he quietly made his way towards Poland, hoping to not alert the nation. He crouched down and waited for the blond to make a move. When he did, Lithuania jumped up and grabbed him, only to freeze when he saw who it was._

 _Instead of being greeted by Poland's bright green eyes, he was staring into the violet ones of Russia, who let out another string of laughter._

 _"_ _Become one with me, da?"_

* * *

Lithuania let out a scream. When he opened his eyes, he was no longer in the rye fields of old. He was in a tiny, dark room in Russia's large mansion, sharing a bed with two now awake, terrified looking Baltics.

"W-what happened?" asked Latvia, who was shaking a little. Lithuania, now back in the present, took a deep breath to calm himself down before answering.

"It was just a nightmare. Sorry for waking you." Estonia walked over towards the dresser where he kept his glasses and looked at the clock in their room to check the time.

"Well, it's almost 5 in the morning, we might as well start getting dressed. Mr. Russia expects breakfast to be ready by 6." Lithuania gave the other two Baltics an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry," he said again. Estonia sighed.

"Don't worry about it, we wouldn't have gotten much more sleep anyway." He then got a curious look on his face. "But if you don't mind me asking, what was your nightmare about?"

Lithuania paused for a second. He didn't really want to talk about Poland or his dream at the moment.

"It was nothing important," he said dismissively. Estonia didn't look too convinced but let it go regardless.

The Baltics got dressed, Lithuania getting a little help from Estonia due to his arm again, and they made their way to the kitchen. Estonia did most of the cooking, while Lithuania and Latvia would get out the ingredients he needed and help him clean up. Just as the food was ready, Russia appeared, soon followed by his two sisters. Russia and Ukraine greeted the Baltics with a smile, the latter's warm and motherly and the former's creepy and childlike. Belarus, in contrast, was wearing a dark scowl.

"Good morning, family!" the Russian greeted, a look of joy on his face. The Baltics looked up and gave a weak smile in turn while putting the food on the table. Just as Belarus was about to take the seat next to her brother, Russia stopped and pointed at Lithuania and Latvia.

"Why don't you two sit next to me today?" he asked in a way that made it clear it wasn't a choice. The three Baltics exchanged a glance for a second, with Estonia giving the other two a sympathetic look before taking a seat next to Ukraine. Reluctantly, Lithuania and Latvia walked over and sat down next to either side of Russia, to said nation's delight. Lithuania winced when he noticed the death glare that Belarus was sending their way. Latvia must have noticed it too since he started shaking so bad that the whole table was moving and Russia gave him a curious glance.

"What's wrong, Latviya, are you cold?" In answer, all Latvia did was shake more. A cheerful smile appeared on the Russian man's face.

"Don't worry, little one. I will keep you warm!" He then leaned over to embrace the small nation in a bone crushing hug, earning a small squeak.

At this, everyone was silent for a moment. Russia was smiling, cheerful as ever, while Latvia seemed like he was about to pass out from a mixture of fright and lack of oxygen. Estonia looked deeply concerned, and seemed like he wanted to intervene but was too afraid. Belarus looked like she was about to murder someone, most likely Latvia, as she pulled out her knife and started to get up from her chair, only to be held back by Ukraine. Finally, Lithuania spoke up amongst the chaos.

"I-I think he's fine, Mr. Russia. He's just a little tired, is all." Russia disentangled himself from the frightened Latvian, causing the small nation to let out a sigh of relief. Russia turned to face Lithuania, who had been starting to shake a little himself. The larger man looked down at his arm, noticing the sling it was in for the first time. His expression turned from one of childlike happiness to something akin to guilt.

"Estoniya told me about your arm. I-I am sorry Litva, I did not intend to hurt you."

Lithuania wasn't thrilled with Russia, but couldn't help but to feel the urge to comfort him regardless. He never did like seeing other people sad, no matter who they were. And anyway, it's not like he did it on purpose.

"Well, it was war, Mr. Russia. Don't worry, it will heal." he gave him a weak smile.

Russia still looked remorseful. "You can help Estoniya with the paperwork until you heal, I don't want you to strain yourself." He turned towards Estonia. "You don't mind helping Latviya with a few extra chores when you're done, do you?" he asked.

"No, Mr. Russia, of course not," though judging by the slight frown on his face, he didn't seem thrilled by the prospect of having extra work.

Russia's expression brightened a little as he clapped his hands together. "Wonderful! It's always nice to see a family willing to work together. I will see you three at lunch." And so they were dismissed.

* * *

Lithuania and Estonia worked in silence for awhile, filling out forms and making calculations. Despite his best efforts to stay on task, Lithuania couldn't help but to think of Poland and his dream again. Living with the blond had never been easy, as he definitely wasn't without his faults. He was selfish, lazy, bossy, and sometimes downright infuriating, and to say they had the occasional disagreement would have been the understatement of the century. However, he was also sweet, funny, charming, and surprisingly brave when put in the right circumstances. There had never been a dull moment between them, and the Lithuanian would have fought till his last dying breath to keep the blond from harm, and thought Poland would do the same. Which was why it was such a heavy blow when he had let him go without a fight.

Noticing the brunet was in another world, Estonia decided to break the silence. "Are you still thinking about the nightmare you had last night?" he asked. Lithuania snapped out of his daze and turned to face the other Baltic.

"U-um no, I just have... well, a lot of things on my mind." He looked down and tried to adjust his sling a little.

"Were you thinking about Mr. Poland?" This made Lithuania pause and turn around to face the Estonian head on.

"How did you know?" he asked. He never remembered mentioning anything that happened with Poland to the bespectacled nation.

"I heard you two fought together against Mr. Russia, and now you're separated." He shrugged. "It can't be easy to be away from someone you knew for so long."

Lithuania gave him a wry smile. "I forgot how smart you can be." He sighed. "But no. Well, it's not just that. When Russia took me away, Poland, he didn't do anything. He just laughed, and looked like he didn't even care." Lithuania looked down at his hands. "But that's not even the worst part. I can't even really be angry with him because… he might be dead." At this, Estonia's eyes widened in surprise.

"What do you mean he might be dead? How badly was he injured?" Lithuania looked back at his fellow Baltic with eyes full of sadness.

"I-I don't know. He was barely conscious, and it was so cold…" He shivered a little at the memory. Estonia was silent for a moment before answering.

"Well, if he was as out of it as you say, maybe he didn't really understand what was happening. I don't know that much about your relationship, but Mr. Poland hardly seems to be the type to give up without a fight."

Estonia might have a point. Maybe Poland was so out of it, he just didn't know what he was saying. Maybe he did still care about him. But then again, if he was really that bad off…

Just then, he had an idea. He wasn't sure if it was a good one, but it was worth a shot.

"Hey, Russia might know what happened, right? I mean, he would probably want to know if Poland was alive, and what happened to him if he is." Estonia's eyes widened a bit in fear.

"You're not seriously going to ask Mr. Russia about Poland, are you? I mean, he may seem nice now, but he doesn't like Mr. Poland that much, and you don't want to get him angry."

Lithuania met his gaze. Estonia was right, the last thing he wanted was to see Russia angry, but he had to know. He couldn't keep living like this, not knowing if the most important person in his life was dead or alive, he would go insane. No matter what Russia said or did, it couldn't be worse than that. He took a deep breath.

"I'll take my chances."

* * *

 **So, I think this chapter is a little better than the last, but still not perfect.**

 **When I looked it up, Estoniya and Latviya seem to be the country names in Russian for Estonia and Latvia, respectively. However, if i'm wrong, please correct me.**

 **I think I forgot to mention this last chapter, but special thanks to Midna3452 for beta reading!**

 **As always, I love feedback. Reviews make my day and inspire me to write :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks to NorthAmericanJaguar and LunaTheBlackWolf for your reviews last chapter, and to everyone else who faved/followed this story! You all are awesome! (Sorry this chapter took a while, a few things came up.)**

 **LunaTheBlackWolf: To answer your question, the story actually takes place right after the third partition of Poland, which is about 1795. I'm no history expert myself, so forgive me if I get a few details wrong, but I'm going to try my best :)**

* * *

Lithuania took in a deep breath as he stood outside Russia's office. It was the day after he had his conversation with Estonia, and he had finished all of the paperwork for the day, so he decided that it was as good of time as any to talk to the Russian. So here he was, trying to work up the courage to knock on the door. His heart was pounding in his chest as he tried to predict what the large man's reaction would be when asked about Poland. Would he be angry? Estonia certainly seemed to think so; Lithuania could still remember the look of horror on the bespectacled nation's face when he told him what he was going to do.

Deciding that it was now or never, Lithuania knocked on the door, just loud enough to be heard. The sound of rustling papers and footsteps came from the inside of the office, and few seconds later, the door opened revealing a smiling Russia.

"Litva, what a wonderful surprise. What are you needing of at this time?" Lithuania stared up at the Russian, his breath caught in his throat when he realized just how _tall_ the man was. Forcing himself to stand up a little straighter, he looked the other man in the eye.

"Mr. Russia, I need to talk to you about something important. May we go in your office?" A look of confusion appeared on the Russian man's face, but was quickly replaced with his cheerful smile.

"Of course, Litva. You may talk to me about anything." He moved out of the doorway a little and gestured for the brunet to come in.

Russia's office was quite large, with a bookshelf filling up one side of the room and a desk made of wood on the other. Russia took the seat behind the desk after pulling out a chair for Lithuania on the opposite side.

"Now, what is it that's troubling you?" Russia asked, staring back at the Lithuanian. The smaller nation hesitated for a minute before answering.

"I-I was just wondering… do you know what happened to Poland?" he asked. Russia still had the smile on his face that he wore a second ago, but now something about it seemed forced.

"What makes you want to know that?" he asked, a slight edge coming through in his tone.

"I just wanted to know if he's okay, I-I mean, we shared a commonwealth together for a few centuries, and-"

"And that commonwealth is no more," Russia finished, cutting him off. The smile that was on his face a few minutes ago was gone, and suddenly the room felt twenty degrees colder. Lithuania involuntarily shivered. But as nervous as he was, he didn't allow himself to give up. This was Poland's life, after all.

"I-I don't mean to upset you, Mr. Russia, but I have to know what happened. Please, at least tell me if he's alive," Lithuania pleaded. He griped the edge of the desk with his good hand, something sturdy, to stop himself from shaking. Russia was silent for a moment before answering.

"That is none of your concern anymore. You are a part of this family now, Litva, and here is where your loyalty lies. I won't tolerate anything less."

"But sir-" The taller man put up a hand to silence him.

"Have I not been kind to you, Litva? Inviting you into my home and treating you like family?"

 _More like forcing me into your home and keeping me prisoner_ , Lithuania thought, but didn't dare to say out loud. He hesitated for a second before giving a nod.

"That is because I like you, and I hope that we will become great friends. I already consider you a friend. But friends must be loyal to one another to make it work, da?" Lithuania simply stared back at him as Russia finished speaking.

"I promise that you will forget all about your little friend in no time. Trust me, Litva, you will be happier here than you ever were before. But first you must learn to let go of the past and accept the future." Knowing that he would be getting nowhere like this, and pressing the issue further would only make things worse, Lithuania simply nodded.

"Yes, Mr. Russia." The room instantly got warmer as Russia's cheerful smile made a reappearance.

"Excellent! You may leave now, and I will see you at dinner."

Lithuania forced a smile before he exited the office.

* * *

Estonia sighed as he watched his young friend stand on his tippy toes to reach the top shelf of the cabinet. He was busy making dinner, and it was Latvia's job to clean up and get out the dishes. He couldn't help but be slightly amused at the sight.

"Would you like some help?" he asked, trying to hide his smirk. Latvia turned to face the bespectacled nation, giving him a slight glare.

"It's not funny, and I can do it myself. Just watch me." As if to make his point, he climbed on top of the counter to reach the shelf, causing Estonia to look back in concern.

"Careful Lat, you're going to hurt yourself," but his warnings were ignored. He knew that the Latvian was insecure about his height, and would try to do whatever it took to avoid having to accept help because of it, even risking hurting himself in the process.

Estonia turned around when he heard the door open, to see Lithuania enter the kitchen with a dejected look on his face. Just as he was about to ask him what was wrong, Latvia turned to face the brunet, and broke out into a smile.

"Hi, Lithuania!" He waved at the taller nation, forgetting about the glass in his hand, as it slipped from his fingers.

The three Baltics could only stare in horror as the glass fell to the ground and shattered upon impact. They all exchanged a glance before everything fell into chaos.

Latvia's eyes looked as though they were about to bulge out of their sockets as he started shaking, and then sobbing into his hands. Looking like he was on the verge of a panic attack himself, Estonia started anxiously lecturing the younger nation about being more careful. Lithuania stared at the scene in front of him for a second. A few hours ago, he would have wondered what the big deal was, it was only one glass. But after experiencing just a little bit of Russia's icy anger, he understood completely.

"Hey guys," he called out, but was unheard over the panic. He repeated himself, a little louder this time, and the other two Baltics grew silent for a moment as they turned to face him.

"A-are you going to tell Mr. Russia?" Latvia asked, who was still crying a little.

A wave of sympathy hit Lithuania and he moved to where Latvia was standing and pulled him in a one arm embrace. He smiled down at the shorter nation.

"Of course not." He took his good hand and wiped the tears that fell down Latvia's face with his thumb.

"Now come on, crying won't solve anything. Let's clean this up before Russia sees it." Latvia nodded and grabbed a broom. A few moments later, any trace of the broken glass was gone.

After that was taken care of, Lithuania volunteered to help his fellow Baltics prepare dinner.

"Aren't you supposed to be taking it easy?" asked Estonia. Lithuania waved him off as he continued to stir the pot.

"I feel bad that you and Latvia have to do extra work because of me. Besides, I'm done for today anyway, and I can't stand just sitting around doing nothing." Though he did feel bad, he really just wanted to do _something_ to get his mind off of Poland. Estonia gave him a small smile.

"Well, thank you. Not just for that, but for Latvia as well," he said gesturing over to where the small nation was cleaning up the kitchen. "You're good with him."

Lithuania shrugged. "It was nothing. I just know that Russia isn't a person you want to get angry." Estonia looked at him for a second.

"So, did you talk to him about Mr. Poland?" he lowered his voice to barely above a whisper, not wanting Latvia to hear. _Well, so much for not thinking about that_ , Lithuania thought.

"Yes. Actually, I just came back from his office," he sighed. "But you were right, it was a bad idea. I didn't get any answers and only managed to piss him off." He shuddered. The Estonian gave him a sympathetic look.

"I'm sorry to hear that. I know how much you care about Mr. Poland."

Lithuania sighed. "I… I just wish we could go back to the way things were. Living with Poland was never a walk in the park, but we always managed to make it work. I never felt more powerful than when he was by my side." His eyes were full of sadness as he looked down at the ground. Just then, a radical thought crossed his mind.

"Maybe… you, me, Latvia,... we could escape, start a new life somewhere else." _Maybe I could see Poland again._ He only half meant it, and at the terrified look Estonia gave him, he knew that would never be more than a fantasy. They heard a small thump in the background, and turned around to see that Latvia dropped the broom he was using. He gave the older two Baltics a sheepish grin before they returned to their conversation.

"You know that would never work. We wouldn't even make it off the property with the ice and frigid temperatures, not to mention Mr. Russia would have us hunted down in a heartbeat." Estonia whispered.

"I know. I just… I miss him." Estonia's expression softened and he put a reassuring hand on the brunet's shoulder.

"I know. If I were you, I would be reacting the same way. But this is not the time to make any rash decisions." He hesitated for a second before finishing his thought. "I know you don't want to hear this, but if he is dead, it's not like you can save him now," He turned off the stove and grabbed a few bowls on the counter before scooping a generous amount of stew in each.

"At this point, we can't even save ourselves."

* * *

The meal was rather uneventful; everyone seemed more concentrated on eating their food then making conversation. After everyone was done and the Baltics got up to collect the dishes, Latvia was stopped by Russia.

"I need to talk to you for a minute, Latviya. I have a favor to ask you." The small nation stopped in his tracks and turned to face the large Russian man, his expression filled with shock and fear. The other two Baltics stopped as well, staring at Russia in curiosity. He waved them off.

"You two, go on. This doesn't concern either of you." The tall man called out, causing them to quickly go back to the kitchen. This only made Latvia more nervous, and he started to shake. What could Russia want to talk to him about in private? Was he in trouble?

"B-but Mr. Russia, I need to help Lithuania and Estonia with the dishes," he stuttered. The very last thing in the world he wanted to do was spend anymore time than required with the large man. However, the man in question had different ideas.

"The dishes can wait. What I have to talk to you about is much more important." He got up and walked away from the direction of the kitchen, gesturing for the Latvian to follow, which he reluctantly did. Once they were out of earshot of Lithuania and Estonia, Russia turned to face the youngest Baltic.

"Tell me Latviya, what do you think of Litva?" Latvia stared at him for a moment in surprise. Of all the things that ran through his mind of what Russia could possibly want to talk about, his opinion of Lithuania was not one of them.

"I-I suppose he's alright," he responded, hoping that was the answer Russia was looking for. The tall man smiled in response, causing Latvia to relax a little.

"You want to keep him in this family, da? I hear you always wanted a big brother." Latvia's eyes widened at this suggestion. Lithuania could become his brother?

"Yes, sir. I would like that very much."

"I'm glad to hear it. I would like that too." He knelt down a little to look the shorter nation in the eye, suddenly serious.

"We must work together then, Latviya. We must show him how wonderful being a part of this family can be." He then stood up, and let out a sigh.

"Poor Litva is still thinking about his past, and is having trouble accepting his new life here, with us. Just today he asked me about his old… _partner_ ," he spit out the word as though it were poison.

"You mean Mr. Poland?" Latvia asked, but fell silent when Russia gave him an icy glare.

"You must tell me if you hear Litva talking about him, or notice any other sign of questionable loyalty." Latvia's eyes widened at this demand, and thought about the bits and pieces of Lithuania and Estonia's conversation he had just overheard. The youngest Baltic didn't mean to eavesdrop, but his curiosity got the best of him. He thought Lithuania said something about escape, but surely he couldn't have meant it, could he?

"Y-You mean, you want me to spy on him?" Russia smiled down at him and grabbed his hand in a gesture that was probably supposed to be comforting but was, instead, anything but.

"Latviya, this is for his own good. In order for Litva to be a part of this family, he must forget about everything he used to be. Together, we can help him see the light. Don't you want a brother?"

Latvia hesitated for a minute before answering. He did want a big brother, more than anything. But spying on Lithuania for Russia, especially after he protected him from punishment just earlier today, felt wrong. On the other hand, he didn't want to risk Lithuania leaving. It had only been a few days, but already it was so nice to have another person in this house that he could talk to. As much as he liked Estonia, Latvia always wished he had more friends. Maybe that was selfish, but he was terrified of being alone and forgotten. Reluctantly, he nodded his head.

"Ok, Mr. Russia, I'll help you with Lithuania."

* * *

 **If you have any comments or suggestions, leave a review! All feedback is greatly appreciated.**

 **Thanks for reading and have a nice day :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry it took a little while, I had a bad case of writer's block, not to mention I've been dealing with back-to-school craziness and several other things that I don't want to bore you with. At least this is a fairly long chapter, so that counts for something, right?**

 **Other than that, thanks to Crimson cat angel for your review last chapter! I'm glad you're enjoying the story :)**

* * *

 _"Would you like some more vodka, big brother?" Belarus asked, for once not looking at her older brother with crazy eyes, but with a bright smile. Russia grinned back at her._

 _"_ _Yes, that would be nice, little sister." He held out his cup as she poured him a second glass. It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, the sky was a gorgeous blue, and he was in a field of sunflowers. It was a perfect place for a picnic, which he shared with his two sisters, and his Baltic friends, and all of them were happy, so happy to be there with him! Russia was happy too. Lithuania, with a shy smile on his face, then stood up and walked over towards the Russian man, his hands behind his back._

 _"_ _Mr. Russia, I just wanted to say thank you for letting me live with you. In fact, we all wanted to thank you," he said, gesturing towards his fellow Baltics. They grinned in return and had a look of anticipation on their faces._

 _"_ _So, to show our gratitude, we made you this." He pulled his hands into view, to show that he was holding a crown made of sunflowers. Russia's eyes widened; it was one of the most beautiful things he's ever seen._

 _"_ _Do you mind if I do the honors?" asked Lithuania. Russia nodded enthusiastically._

 _"_ _Of course, Litva. There is nothing I would want more." he bowed his head a little to allow the oldest Baltic to put the crown of sunflowers on his head._

 _"_ _Oh, it looks beautiful, little brother," said Ukraine, as she beamed at the younger nation._

 _Lithuania held out his hand. "Would you like to see what you look like?" he asked. Russia nodded and let the smaller nation help him up._

 _He followed the brunet through the sunflower fields, until they stopped right next to a little pond with crystal clear water. Lithuania let go of the larger man's hand to let him see his reflection. As he looked down, he noticed that the crown was pretty intricate, and looked like it took hours to make. He felt a warm feeling in his chest knowing that his new friends cared about him so deeply._

 _He leaned over the pond to get a better look. He then reached out, almost as if to touch his reflection, when something bizarre happened. As soon as his flesh made contact with the clear liquid, it hardened and turned to ice. Startled, he pulled his hand back as if he'd been bit, and watched with a mix of amazement and terror as the entire pond froze over in a matter of seconds._

 _He then turned around to ask Lithuania what just happened, but when he did, the smaller nation was nowhere to be found._

 _"_ _Litva?" he called out, starting to get very nervous. There was no response. He wasn't sure what was going on, but was afraid and didn't want to be alone._

 _"_ _Litva!" he yelled out again, this time louder and more desperate. As he was walking, trying to find his family, he couldn't help but to notice that it was much darker out now then it was a minute ago. The once blue sky was now filled with grey clouds, and it was colder as well. Why were all these strange things happening?_

 _"_ _Litva, Big Sister, Latviya, where are you?"_ Where is my family? Please don't leave me here alone! _he thought._

 _Then just up ahead, he saw the back of a man with shoulder length brown hair. Knowing it must be Lithuania, he began to relax._

 _He ran towards the man, relieved to be reunited with his friend. But then, just as he reached out for his shoulder, the man shattered into a million pieces, like a vase dropped from a great height. Half in shock and half in despair, Russia let out an ear piercing scream and dropped to his knees. He yanked on his hair with both of his hands and pulled off the flower crown on his head, only to watch the once bright yellow petals wilt before his very eyes, and started to cry._

 _What was happening? Did he just kill Litva? Was Litva even real?_

 _He hugged his knees to his chest in an attempt to both comfort himself and keep in his body heat as he sat alone in the middle of an empty field. It was so cold..._

* * *

Russia woke up with a start. When his mind adjusted to his surroundings, he realized he was in his bedroom in his house, and by the dark sky he could see outside his window, it was the middle of the night. Knowing it would be awhile before he would be able to go back to sleep, he pulled himself out of bed and made his way to the kitchen.

He took out his special bottle of vodka from the cabinet that he kept for nights like this and poured himself a glass. Nightmares weren't new for him; in fact, he had them fairly often. Usually they were about things like events from his childhood, or Belarus forcing him to marry her at knifepoint. He didn't know why this dream was so odd, but he did know that it left him with a feeling of cold emptiness he couldn't explain. He took a seat on the couch in his living room after starting up the fireplace in hope of generating some more heat.

As he was lost in his thoughts, he heard soft footsteps behind him and turned around to see his big sister Ukraine. In the soft glow from the fireplace Russia could see she was wearing a light blue nightgown that went down to her ankles and a concerned look on her face.

"What's wrong, brother? Did you have another nightmare?" She made her way over to where he was sitting and took his hand into hers. He gave her a soft smile.

"Unfortunately. I was just thinking… have you ever gotten something you wanted for so long, only to find out that it is very different from what you expected?" She gave him a confused look before realization dawned on her face.

"Is this about the Baltics?" The violet eyed man gave her a nod before continuing.

"I thought that when they came to live with us that they would like it here, and we would all become like one big family. But I think they're afraid of me, especially Latviya. And Litva, just earlier today he asked me about his old partner. I-I don't think he likes me, and I'm afraid of losing him."

Ukraine looked back at her little brother, sympathy in her large blue eyes. She knew how much he wanted friends, and always had, ever since they were children. In many ways, he was still the wide eyed, lonely child that she had raised so long ago.

"I'm guessing you didn't tell him?" When she didn't get a response, Ukraine sighed. "Just because he asked about Poland doesn't mean he doesn't like you, little brother. Of course he wants to know what happened to him. It's only natural to worry about those you care for."

Russia gave his sister a slightly accusing glare. "But he lives with me now. Why would he be needing to know about him? They are no longer together, so it shouldn't matter to Litva where he is." Ukraine sighed. Her brother always was a stubborn one.

"You can't separate two people who have been together for as long as they have and just expect all of those feelings to go away. It doesn't work like that."

Getting frustrated, Russia got up off the couch and threw his arms in the air.

"You don't understand, sister. I've tried to be nice and welcoming, but I can't help but to think that Litva and the others want nothing to do with me. I don't know what to do!"

Ukraine sighed. "I think you should tell him. He has a right to know, and it might make him more open minded towards your friendship. He deserves to know the fate of his friend." Russia shook his head.

"No, sister! That will only want to make him leave more! Just today, Latviya told me that he was already thinking about escape. I cannot let that happen. He is mine."

"Brother-"

"No, I'm not going to tell him, and he will get over it eventually." Ukraine sighed yet again. As much as she loved her brother, he could be very frustrating to deal with when he refused to see sense.

"I still think that you're making the wrong decision, but I know you have your mind made up." She got up to go back to bed, knowing that continuing this conversation would get her nowhere.

 _I know you're afraid of being alone brother, but you're going about it all wrong. You can't force someone to like you, and if you try you will only push them further away. Even if I have to go against your wishes... I will do what's right._

* * *

Lithuania couldn't help but to notice that Latvia had been acting strange ever since he talked to Russia yesterday. True, Russia always made the small nation on edge, but this time seemed different. He was even clumsier than usual, and refused to look the brunet in the eye. When Lithuania offered to help him clean the attic, he got very nervous and stuttered out that he was fine, really, and something about how Russia didn't want the brunet to strain himself, but the Lithuanian insisted. He hoped that having some one on one time with Latvia would help him get to the bottom of whatever was wrong. So here they were, working in awkward silence, until Lithuania decided it was time to break the ice.

"Latvia, what did Russia want to talk to you about yesterday?" The smaller nation jumped when Lithuania spoke up in the silent room.

"W-why do you want to know about that?" he asked, not looking up from where he was organizing several items into different boxes. Lithuania sighed.

"You could at least look at me when I'm talking to you," he said. Shyly, Latvia turned his head to where the older Baltic was standing. Lithuania gave him a concerned look.

"I noticed you've been acting different ever since then, and I'm starting to get worried about you. What happened?"

Latvia gave him a shaky smile that didn't reach his eyes. "I-It was nothing. He just, um, wanted to remind me of a few chores I had to do." He looked down and started fidgeting with the picture frame in his hands.

Lithuania walked over to the small nation and gently took the picture frame out of his grip and set it down.

"You know you're a terrible liar, right?" Lithuania said, a slight smirk appearing on his lips. Latvia continued to look down at his hands.

"I know we only recently have been starting to get to know each other, but I hope you know you can talk to me about anything you want, and I won't get upset. In fact, I'd like you to see me as someone you can look up to, like an older brother." At this, Latvia's eyes grew wide and were staring at him with a combination of shock and… guilt?

"Y-you want to be my big brother?" he said so low that Lithuania had to strain to hear him.

"Sure. I know it isn't easy being under another country's control and not being able to see your friends… or at least, I do now." He sighed. "Ever since I was separated from Poland and taken over, it's been you and Estonia that have given me strength, something to focus on. I hope that we will be independent again someday, but even if that day never comes… I know that I'll be with people I consider my friends."

All of the sudden, Latvia burst into tears. Lithuania looked back at the small nation in bewilderment. What did he say to set him off?!

"Hey, shh, it's alright. I didn't mean to make you cry." He tried to lean over to embrace the sobbing nation, but Latvia backed away, his face in his hands.

"I-I'm sorry, Lithuania. I-I need to take a break." he choked out between sobs, as he made his way to go downstairs. Still in shock by the sudden outburst of emotion, Lithuania simply nodded.

"Okay, take all the time you need. I'll be waiting if you want to talk some more later." In answer, Latvia only continued to sob, leaving a very confused and concerned Lithuania alone in the attic.

As he tried to continue to clean and organize, he couldn't help but to think, _what did I do wrong?_

* * *

Latvia never did go back upstairs. He spent most of the remainder of the day hiding out in the room that he shared with his fellow Baltics. It was, thankfully, empty due to the fact that both Lithuania and Estonia were busy doing their chores. He only came out when it was dinner time, and tried to ignore the worried glances that Lithuania kept sending him. He knew he'd have to talk to the older nation sooner or later, but he preferred it to be much, much later. Every time he looked at him, he felt guilty.

He didn't want to spy on Lithuania for Russia, he really didn't, but he was afraid. Afraid of what Russia would've said if he refused, afraid that Lithuania would leave him behind if not kept here by force, and now, afraid of what the older Baltic would say if he found out that he told Russia about how the Lithuanian wished he could escape. Not to mention that he wasn't supposed to even hear that in the first place, and agreed to continue to keep tabs on him. It felt like a punch in the stomach when Lithuania told him he hopped that he considered him an older brother. Would he still feel the same way if he knew the truth?

It was now after dinner, and the Baltics were all in their bedroom having some downtime before they got ready for bed. Lithuania kept asking Latvia if he was alright or if he wanted to talk, and Latvia continued to brush the older nation off. Noticing this and tired of being kept out of the loop, Estonia finally spoke up.

"Okay, what happened? Are you two hiding something?" Latvia and Lithuania exchanged a look for a second, Latvia silently telling the older of the two to not say anything. The last thing he wanted was for Estonia to be brought into this as well, who would likely be just as concerned as the Lithuanian and then he would have two people pestering him and making him feel worse.

"Well, Latvia... He wasn't feeling very well earlier, so I've just been trying to make sure he's alright." Estonia then turned his gaze toward the youngest Baltic.

"He doesn't look unwell... okay, a little pale, maybe." The Estonian rested the back of his hand on Latvia's forehead to check his temperature. Not noticing any fever, the bespectacled nation gave the Latvian a skeptical look, making him feel uneasy.

"That's not the kind of unwell I meant," Lithuania started to explain, but was interrupted by the sound of a knock on the door.

All three nations turned their attention to the source of the sound, and watched as a small envelope was slipped under the door, addressed to Lithuania.

The brunet looked back at his fellow Baltics in question, but they were just as confused. Hesitantly, Lithuania walked over and picked up the envelope before opening it. Inside was a letter.

Lithuania took a seat on the bed and read the letter silently, the other two watching as his expression changed from shock to relief to anger. After a few minutes, Estonia spoke up.

"Who's it from?" he asked.

Lithuania continued to look at the letter as he shook his head. "I don't know."

Latvia, now too curious to stay silent, voiced his question. "What does it say?"

Lithuania looked up, his eyes sparkling with unshed tears.

"It's about Poland. He's alive, and living with Prussia."

* * *

 **So, during the Third Partition of Poland, the land was split up between Prussia, Russia, and Austria. I decided to have Poland live with Prussia in this fic, since it works best for the story.**

 **My hope is that the next chapter will be up no later than next Tuesday, but we'll see how that will go. I'm going to be back in school pretty soon, so updates might be slower then. However, I will try to update once a week.**

 **Free hugs from Russia and the Baltics for anyone who reviews :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**harrietamidala1691- I really like your headcanon! I never even thought of that, to be honest. However, that does give me an idea for something else… Don't worry, I'll credit you if I use it, if you want me too, of course :)**

 **LunaTheBlackWolf- (^J^)**

 **PolandsPonyIsTheCutest- Your review was so sweet, and it brought a huge smile to my face! Yes, I try hard to keep everyone in character as much as possible, and it's nice to know that you think I'm doing a good job. (I like your username by the way!)**

 **I might start doing these things at the end of the chapter; it's probably annoying to have it before. Sorry :)**

* * *

"What do you think you're doing?" demanded Estonia as he watched Lithuania throw on his coat and grab the few items he owned into a small bag. Adrenaline was coursing through Lithuania's veins as he rushed around the room.

"Didn't you hear what I said? Poland is alive, and has been kidnapped by Prussia!" Lithuania exclaimed, still rushing around the room. "I have to go, I need to find him." Before the brunet could take another step, Estonia grabbed his wrist.

"Are you insane?! I thought we agreed that was a very, very bad idea. If you try to leave, you're going to die out in the cold, or wish you did once Mr. Russia finds you!" yelled the normally collected nation.

Undeterred by the younger nation's warning, Lithuania yanked his wrist out of Estonia's grip, and looked right at him, his eyes filled with intensity and determination.

"This is different. I know he's alive now, and where he is. I wouldn't be just wandering around aimlessly," he explained.

Estonia took a deep breath to calm himself down. He needed to explain to the Lithuanian just how terrible this idea was.

"Even if you were able to get to Prussia's house, how do you exactly plan on saving Poland? Just sneak in and grab him when Prussia has his back turned?" Lithuania huffed in frustration.

"You don't understand; you don't know Prussia! For all I know, Poland could be being mistreated, or even killed as we speak! Prussia almost did kill him once before, even after he surrendered." Lithuania couldn't help but to imagine the worst. Poland had the unfortunate habit of testing even the most patient and gentle of people, and Prussia was about as far from patient and gentle as one could get.

Estonia sighed in frustration. "You don't even know who the letter is from, what if this is some sort of trap?" he asked. "What if Mr. Russia is doing this as some sort of test to your loyalty or something?" Lithuania rolled his eyes.

"We've both seen his handwriting, Estonia, he has to sign off on the paperwork we help him with. Tell me, does it look anything like this?" he asked. Estonia took the letter from the brunet and examined it for a minute before handing it back.

"He could've easily had one of his sisters write it for him. Look, I know you miss Poland and are worried about his well being, but this is a suicide mission!"

Before Lithuania could argue or continue running around the room like an idiot, Estonia grabbed him by the shoulders and forced him to stand still and listen.

"Lithuania, you are a smart man; be reasonable! This plan of yours, if you can even call it that, will get you nowhere! Also, it's dangerous- not only for you, but for us as well," the bespectacled nation said. He gestured towards himself and Latvia, who had been watching the other two in silence and was visibly stressed from all the conflict.

"Tell me, Lithuania, what are we supposed to say when Mr. Russia sees that you're gone? How do you think he's going to react to that?"

This made Lithuania stop for a second and listen. What Estonia said was true: if he ran away, Russia might take it out on the other two for failing to stop him, and he couldn't let that happen. Putting his own safety on the line was one thing, but couldn't do that to Estonia and Latvia.

However, Russia couldn't do anything to them if they weren't there…

"Come with me then." He looked straight at the other two Baltics, who stared back at him with wide eyes.

"Y-you can't be serious," Estonia spluttered out. Latvia visibly paled and shook his head, his eyes wide and fearful. But Lithuania was determined.

"Why not? You won't have to worry about Russia anymore, and you could have your independence. Estonia, don't you want to see Finland again? Don't you miss him?"

A sad look appeared on Estonia's face for a moment at the mention of his old friend, but his thoughts were interrupted when Latvia voiced his concerns.

"But what if we get caught? I-I don't want to get in trouble," he said, shuddering at the thought. Pulled back to reality, Estonia shook his head.

"I agree with Latvia. The risk is far too high."

"But guys-"

"I'm sorry, but the answer is no."

Lithuania sighed. He put his bag down on the floor, and thought about what he was going to do, when Latvia spoke up.

"You aren't going to leave us, are you?" He stared at the burnet, looking like he was on the verge of tears, and Lithuania sighed in defeat.

"I don't want either of you to get hurt because of me." Relief flooded Latvia's face and Estonia relaxed as well.

"Great, now that that's settled, let's all go to bed. I don't know about you two, but I'm exhausted." said Estonia. Lithuania nodded in agreement.

"Me too."

The three changed into their pajamas and crawled into bed. However, even after the other two were asleep, Lithuania laid there wide awake. Despite implying he would stay, he hadn't been quite so easy to convince as he pretended to be. He honestly didn't know what to do: stay in Russia's mansion and abandon Poland to Prussia, or leave and abandon Estonia and Latvia to Russia. If only they would agree to go with him, then he wouldn't be stuck making this impossible decision! But, as much as he hated to admit it, they were right. If they escaped with him and got caught, or stuck out in the snow, they would be in even more danger. After awhile of thinking over both options, he came up with an idea.

 _Maybe Russia won't be too hard on them if I leave. At least he seemed to be making an effort to be friendly, while no doubt Poland would not be given the same courtesy by Prussia. But still, it wouldn't hurt to have a backup plan just in case..._

Quietly, he got up off the bed to not wake the other two, grabbed his bag of belongings off the floor as well as his coat, and made his way into the office that he and Estonia would work in.

When he entered, he lit a candle to be able to see, and looked over several piles of documents. Even though he mostly did paperwork for Russia, he had done so for his sisters a few times before as well. Since he already ruled out the letter being written by the Russian, and he knew that neither Estonia or Latvia wrote it, that only left Belarus and Ukraine. He pulled out the mysterious letter he received as a reference, and began looking over the signatures on the other documents.

He compared the writing in the letter to Belarus first, and couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed that it wasn't a match. A small part of him hoped that it was she who wrote the letter, that she secretly cared about him enough to defy her brother to help him out. However, he wasn't too surprised; she hadn't exactly been very welcoming since he got there.

So, that left Ukraine. Just to make sure, he found a document signed by her and compared it side to side with the letter, and lo and behold, it was a match. He then grabbed a blank sheet of paper and pen, and took a seat.

He had his own letter to write.

* * *

Lithuania took a deep breath and tried to hold back the tears that threatened to spill from his eyes as he read over the letter one more time.

 _Dear Ukraine,_

 _By the time you read this, I will be gone. I know it was you who wrote me the letter, and you took a great risk writing to tell me about Poland. For that, I am truly grateful. But, I'm afraid I must ask you for a few more favors: Please watch out for Estonia and Latvia since I no longer can. Please make your brother understand that this isn't their fault, and they had nothing to do with this. If they were to be punished or blamed because of me, I wouldn't be able to live with myself. But most of all, please, please tell them that I'm sorry, and that I consider them both my brothers._

 _Thank you so much for everything you've done,_

 _Lithuania_

He blew on the sheet of paper for a minute to make sure the ink was dry before carefully folding it in half. He made his way to Ukraine's bedroom and quietly slipped his letter under her door before making his way to the kitchen, silently praying that she wouldn't be too upset with him for running away and would honor his requests. While the more logical part of Lithuania knew that Estonia could be right, this could all be a trap, he had a feeling in his gut that told him it wasn't. He didn't know Ukraine very well, but he didn't think she would agree to trick him into escaping; something about her seemed too genuine, too kind. As he was going over all of this in his head, he grabbed whatever he could find that would be useful; food, water, a few matches, and several other items, and slipped the materials into his bag. Everything was ready, he was all packed, he wrote his letter, and it was time to walk out the door, but something stopped him. Even though it was a big risk, he needed to see Estonia and Latvia one more time.

Before he knew what he was doing, he put down his bag and coat as to not look suspicious and walked back to the bedroom that they shared, the bedroom that he would never sleep in again, to see his fellow Baltics.

As he opened the door, the small candle still in his hand to light his way, he heard the two stir from their slumber and turned to see the brunet in the doorway.

"What's going on?" asked Latvia, his voice groggy and half-asleep. Estonia looked in his direction as well, squinting his eyes from a combination of the light source and not having his glasses on.

"I just got up to use the bathroom," he answered, lying as smoothly as he could. He gave them both a smile, setting the candle on the nightstand and taking a seat on the bed. He hesitated a moment before he spoke again.

"You know, I just wanted to tell you both how much you mean to me. I consider you my family, and… I love you. I love you both."

Estonia groaned a little in response. "That's great Lithuania, but can't that wait until morning?" he said, putting his head back down on the pillow. Latvia didn't give any answer, having already fallen back asleep. The Lithuanian sighed.

"Okay, sorry for waking you two. Good night," he replied forcing himself to sound as casual as possible, when all he wanted to do was give them a hug and take them with him. But right after he finished that sentence, Estonia was asleep as well.

He sighed and, picking up the candle, the Lithuanian got up and left the bedroom. He made his way to the living room where he had left his stuff, grabbed it, put on his coat, and after preparing himself for the icy wind that would soon cut at his flesh like knives, walked out the door.

 _I promise I'll come back for you two. I promise, as long as I'm alive, I will do everything I can to make sure you both get your freedom, and that you will be safe once again._

* * *

 **Sorry this chapter was kind of short. Hopefully the next one will be longer.**

 **Just as a warning, I might have to bump up the rating soon. But don't worry, nothing above T.**

 **Feel free to leave a review or PM me, if you'd like to :)**


	6. Chapter 6

Estonia groaned as he felt the sunlight from the early dawn coming through the window on his face, interrupting his slumber. He rolled over to his other side, trying to put off the moment when he would need to get up to the last possible second, and was pleasantly surprised to see that he was actually able to move at all for a change.

Wait a minute.

His eyes flew open as he turned his head to the left and saw that Lithuania was gone. A mixture of shock and dread filled him as he remembered the argument that he had with the brunet just last night. He threw the covers off of himself, almost forgetting to put his glasses on, and began looking around the room, as if Lithuania would suddenly appear out of nowhere, but of course, he didn't. On top of that, he noticed that all of the brunet's stuff was gone.

Fighting the panic attack that he could feel coming on, he tried to think of a reasonable explanation for this, but couldn't. No, there really only was one reason why Lithuania would be missing, along with all of his belongings.

He started pacing around the room trying to think about what to do and cursing under his breath, when he heard a small voice behind him.

"What's wrong, Estonia?" Latvia asked, as he looked up at the bespectacled nation. He then turned his gaze over to where Lithuania should have been, and furrowed his brow when he noticed that he wasn't there.

"Where's Lithuania?"

Estonia took a deep breath before answering the smaller nation, trying to control his building anxiety.

"Now, I don't want you to get upset… But I believe that he left in the middle of the night to go and try to save Poland."

At first, Latvia just stared at the Estonian, seeming to be in shock. Then he slowly started shaking his head in denial.

"No, that can't be right. Lithuania said he was going to stay here, with us. He wouldn't lie. Maybe he just got up extra early today."

Well, technically he never said he would stay, Estonia thought, but he made damn sure to make them believe he would. His thoughts went back to last night, and how Lithuania had woken him and Latvia up. He was acting so strange, telling them that he loved them…

Estonia could have smacked himself for his own idiocy. How could he have just brushed that off, especially after everything that happened? Feelings of anger and betrayal welled up inside of him, regretting ever trusting the brunet. How could he do this to them?

He looked down to meet the wide eyes of Latvia, pleading with him to tell him that he was right, of course Lithuania wouldn't abandon them like this, but he couldn't lie. Latvia would find out soon anyway.

"I'm sorry, Lat, but unless you can find another reason as to why both him and his things are missing… he's gone."

Latvia looked at the older nation for a few more seconds before tears started rolling down his cheeks. Despite not being one who was comfortable with strong outbursts of emotion, Estonia embraced the smaller nation and let him cry into his chest.

"W-why would he leave us? I thought he liked us." Suddenly, Latvia lifted his head to look at Estonia and asked in a horrified tone, "What is Mr. Russia going to say?"

Now, that was something that Estonia didn't even want to think about. While Russia seemed to be nice enough right now, he wouldn't want to be around when he found out that his favorite Baltic escaped.

Estonia sighed. It was almost time for them to start getting up and making breakfast, which meant facing Russia. He looked down at Latvia as he tried to decide what the best course of action would be.

"Here's what we're going to do," he started. "I'm going to tell Mr. Russia that Lithuania is taking the day off because he is sick. That will buy us some time, in case by some miracle Lithuania comes back. If he doesn't… just let me handle it." As terrified as Estonia was of being the one to tell Russia about Lithuania, he couldn't let Latvia do it, couldn't let him face Russia's wrath. Maybe it was because of how they both always ended up in similar situations under the control of other countries, maybe it was simply because he was younger and smaller, but Estonia had always been protective of the youngest Baltic.

"But, what if he gets mad at you?" asked Latvia, giving the Estonian a worried expression. Estonia gave him a reassuring smile before answering.

"Don't worry, everything is going to be fine. Maybe… maybe Lithuania will come back after all, and we're worrying about nothing." He said, trying to sound as confident as he could.

"Now, come on. It's time to get up and make breakfast." Latvia wiped the remaining tears off his face and nodded. They both got dressed, and were just about to head to the kitchen, when they heard a knock on the door. Both nations jumped when they heard the sound, already on edge from the mild breakdown this morning. They both stared at the door for a minute, fearing it could be Russia, when they heard a female's voice.

"Estonia, Latvia, it's me, Ukraine. Please let me in, it's an emergency." The two Baltics gave each other a confused look before Estonia hesitantly opened the door.

Outside stood a very worried looking Ukraine who was still in her nightgown. She rushed into the room, quickly closing the door behind her before speaking.

"I suppose that it's true that Lithuania ran away, judging by the fact he isn't here." Both Baltics' eyes widened at that statement. How did she know he escaped?

"This is all my fault, I should have never gave him that letter. I-I just thought he had a right to know about Poland," she said in a soft voice, guilt on her face. Estonia gave her a surprised look.

"That was you?" he asked. Ukraine nodded.

"So, it wasn't a trick? Poland is with Prussia?"

Ukraine sighed. "Yes. I'm sorry I put all of you through this, I was just trying to do the right thing. But now… Oh, Lithuania is going to freeze out there, this is all my fault!" she wailed again, looking dangerously close to tears.

Estonia awkwardly tried to comfort her by patting her on the back. What was it today with him being forced to comfort people?

"It's not your fault. It's like you said, you were only trying to do the right thing. You didn't force him to leave."

Ukraine gave Estonia a sad smile. "Thank you, you're too sweet. Before he left, he slipped this under my door. He mentions the two of you." She pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to him. Estonia adjusted his glasses and began reading the letter with Latvia looking over his shoulder. As he was reading, one thing in particular stuck out to him.

" _Please watch out for Estonia and Latvia since I no longer can. Please make your brother understand that this isn't their fault, and they had nothing to do with this. If they were to be punished or blamed because of me, I wouldn't be able to live with myself."_

As angry as he was at the brunet, he couldn't help but be a little thankful that he at least cared about them enough to not leave him and Latvia completely on their own.

"He really did love you two," Ukraine said. "I'm sorry this happened, but I believe he was only trying to do what he thought was best."

 _What he did was just plain stupid,_ thought Estonia. However, he didn't want to risk offending the Ukrainian woman, so he simply nodded.

"I want you two to know that I won't let anything happen to either of you. My brother, he's a good man, but has the tendency to overreact when things don't go his way and blame others that shouldn't be blamed." She looked at the clock on the dresser and sighed. "I've been in here too long, my siblings will be awake soon. Now, you two should go and make breakfast before someone starts getting suspicious." Estonia and Latvia nodded.

"Okay, we will. I'm sorry you got dragged into this, Miss Ukraine. Thank you for your help." Ukraine gave them a smile in return. Then, the two boys left the room, with Ukraine waiting a few minutes before she left as well, making sure the coast was clear.

* * *

That morning's breakfast was an awkward one, to say the least. Noticing Lithuania's absence, Russia kept sending the Baltics confused, suspicious looks. Ukraine kept looking back and forth between her brother and the two Baltics, anxious of what was going to happen. Latvia, of course, was shaking like a leaf and was slowly moving his chair as far away from Russia as possible. Estonia gave his hand a gentle squeeze, both to comfort and as a silent command to act casual. Despite this, the bespectacled nation was anxious as well from Russia's gaze, but tried to hide it the best he could.

"Estoniya, Latviya, might you tell me where Litva is?" Estonia and Latvia jumped slightly when Russia finally spoke up, but Estonia forced himself to calm down enough to speak. He was prepared for this.

"H-he's sorry he couldn't come out today, sir, but he wasn't feeling very well. I told him to rest, I didn't think you would mind. I-I hope that's okay."

Russia's face softened immediately. "Of course it's alright with me if he takes the day off, he deserves his rest." Just as the Baltics started to relax that Russia bought their excuse, they instantly tensed up at what he said afterwards.

"After this meal, I will go bring him some food. Poor Litva must be very hungry."

Estonia and Latvia gave each other an anxious look. Poor Latvia looked like he was on the verge of a panic attack, and was gripping the older nation's hand so hard it was starting to hurt.

"T-that's not necessary, Mr. Russia! Latvia and I will be more than happy to bring him anything he needs. I'm sure you are quite busy."

Russia shook his head dismissively. "Nonsense! It would be my pleasure. I wouldn't mind checking on him myself to see how he's doing regardless."

"Really, sir, he's very tired and just needs some rest-"

"Don't worry, I won't be long! I just want to know my little Baltic is alright-"

"You can't go see him Mr. Russia!" Latvia exclaimed. Immediately after he spoke, he covered his mouth with his hand, wincing as all eyes were on him. Estonia gave him a withering look, and everyone else stared at him with a wide-eyed, shocked expression, even Belarus.

"Why can't I go see Litva? What is going on?" Russia's eyes narrowed, his shock at Latvia's outburst now replaced with suspicion. When no one spoke up, Russia looked straight at the youngest Baltic.

"Latviya, are you hiding something from me?" The smaller nation withered under the Russian's glare, and turned to Estonia, silently asking for help. In return, Estonia only shook his head slightly, telling him to keep his mouth shut.

"If you don't tell me what's going on, I'm going to go see Litva now." He threatened, starting to lose his patience. He slowly started to get up from his chair and walk away when in a panic words started flowing from Latvia's mouth.

"He left! He left in the middle of the night, to go find Poland!" Russia turned back around to face the Latvian, whose entire body was shaking.

"What?" he asked, a dark aura forming around him. Now Estonia was shaking as well, and even Ukraine started to look a little intimidated. After a minute of dead silence, he started laughing, which only unnerved them more.

"That is a funny joke, little one. You almost had me there for a minute! But in all seriousness, where is he?" Latvia shrank down as much as possible.

"I-I'm sorry, sir! We tried to stop him!" Russia's smile died as he glared at the Latvian, causing him to hide behind Estonia.

"So, that was not a joke?" Estonia and Latvia shook their heads. Russia continued to glare at the youngest Baltic.

"I thought we had a deal, Latviya, that you would tell me if Lithuania was acting suspicious. Why did you not come to me if you thought he might escape?" Estonia turned around and gave his fellow Baltic a look of confusion.

"What is he talking about?" he asked Latvia, who was suddenly very interested in the floor pattern.

"M-Mr. Russia asked me to keep an eye on Lithuania for him. I told him about how Lithuania was talking about escaping. I-I just wanted him to stay with us." Estonia gave the younger Baltic a look mixed with surprise and disapproval, causing Latvia to flinch.

"Brother, don't blame them, he left while they were sleeping, they had nothing to do with this!" Ukraine spoke up. Russia's gaze turned from the Baltics to his older sister.

"What do you know about this, Sister? Did you play a part in this?" Ukraine started fidgeting under her brother's glare.

"I-I told him what happened to Poland. I didn't think he would try to leave, Brother, I was only trying to help him!"

Russia gave everyone at the table an accusing glare. "Is there no one in my family who hasn't betrayed me?"

"I would never betray you, Big Brother! I guess this just shows you that no one loves you as much as I do!" Belarus spoke up, going over to embrace him with a smug look on her face.

Russia disentangled himself from his sister, and walked towards the kitchen door.

"Brother, where are you going?" asked Ukraine. Russia turned towards his sister with an icy glare.

"I am going to find Litva, and bring him back here, where he belongs."

"Okay, let me go grab my coat-"

"No, Ukraine, you are to stay here. I don't want you to let him escape again." Ukraine flinched at the clear accusation in his voice.

"I won't! Just let me help you-"

"No! You will stay here." He spoke in a tone that left no room for argument. He then turned toward Belarus.

"Little Sister, you are to watch these three to make sure that they don't go anywhere. Can you do that for me?" As much as Belarus's behavior unnerved him, he knew that she was the only one he could fully trust at the moment.

Belarus's face lightened up when Russia asked her for a favor. "Of course, Big Brother! Does this mean that we will get married when you come back?"

Russia suddenly looked very uncomfortable. "W-we'll see what happens, da?" That seemed to be enough for her at the moment as Russia left the kitchen and prepared himself to find his Baltic.

* * *

Lithuania felt his throat burn from a mixture of the cold and yelling out commands as he continued to urge the horse he was riding to go faster. He had been lucky to choose a horse with such high stamina, otherwise he would have not been able to get to Prussia's house in what he assumed was less than a week. He looked down at said horse, the one he had taken from Russia's stables, as it continued to speed to its destination. Lithuania was freezing, tired, and hungry. Not to mention his arm, although mostly better, still was a little sore and the trip hadn't exactly helped with that. However, it would all be worth it once he got to see Poland's face.

Just a few minutes later, he saw the outline of a familiar house, and his heart raced in his chest. _You're almost there,_ he told himself. As he picked up speed, he saw the house begin to get closer and closer, until he was finally on the property.

He stayed back, and started to circle around to see where the best point of entry would be. Finally, he came to a stop in front of a stable when he thought he heard a voice. Cautiously, he dismounted his horse, tying the reins to branch on a nearby tree, and tiptoed towards the stable to see who it was. He slowly opened the door, cringing slightly when it creaked a little, and poked his head in to see who was there, and when he saw them, his heart almost stopped.

Inside was Poland, his shoulder length blond hair tied back and was wearing a threadbare coat that would hardly be sufficient for protecting against the cold, over a simple shirt and pants that were covered in dirt. He was grooming a small brown pony and speaking to it in a tone gentler than Lithuania would have imagined possible.

"You're totally the most awesome pony ever, don't let anyone tell you differently. Even if you're dirty and smell kind of bad, it's, like, totally not your fault." he sighed.

"Back when I was living with Liet, we would curl up under a big, warm blanket and he would read me one of his favorite books when it was this cold. I wish I could keep you warm and read you something, but you totally wouldn't understand it anyway, I guess."

It was quite strange for Lithuania to see him like this, so sad and soft spoken and worn down. Poland always cared a great deal about his appearance, bathing as often as he could and changing his clothes on a daily basis. Now, it looked like he hadn't done either in quite awhile. Even his mannerisms were different. Poland always exuded confidence, even when he was secretly afraid. Now his shoulders were slumped, and he was a shivering little lump. Not being able to control himself any longer, Lithuania walked towards the blond.

"Poland?"

The blond whipped his head around at the sound of his name, and locked eyes with Lithuania. They both stood there for a minute, in complete shock that the other was there. Poland's green eyes were as wide as saucers and his mouth was hanging open. Then, Poland ran straight towards the unexpecting brunet and threw his arms around him, causing the brunet to wince a little when his arm was touched. Not taking any notice, the blond started sobbing into Lithuania's shoulder. The Lithuanian frowned slightly when he noticed that Poland's bones protruded a little more than the last time he saw him. But there he was, alive and maybe not in perfect condition, but better than he feared. Before he knew it, Lithuania was sobbing too.

"Oh my God, Liet, what are you doing here?" Poland asked, his voice still thick from crying.

"I came here, to save you. How have you been treated? Have you been hurt?" Lithuania asked, now examining the blond for any possible injuries.

"Prussia totally kicked me out, and is making me stay out here." He gestured to a small pile of blankets where he must have been sleeping. "He called me annoying! Can you believe that?" the blond huffed indignantly.

"He's making you stay outside in these temperatures? All day?" questioned Lithuania, who could feel anger bubbling up inside him.

"Yeah, but it's not so bad, I get to stay with the ponies," he said, reaching out a hand to pet the pony he was grooming earlier. However, he started to shiver when a gust of wind flew in. Lithuania rushed to close the door, then walked back over and pulled the blond close to his chest, took off his coat and wrapped it around himself and the Polish man. They took a seat on a stack of hay and embraced each other for warmth, as well as comfort.

"Don't worry. As soon as you warm up a bit, we will leave this place forever. You won't ever have to sleep in a dirty stable again."

It was almost peaceful for a while, Lithuania running his fingers through Poland's blond locks and watching as he slowly began to fall asleep with his head resting on the brunet's shoulder. He knew they should be leaving, the longer they stayed there the more they risked being caught, but Poland looked so calm and relaxed, that Lithuania didn't have the heart to bother him.

However, their small peaceful moment was interrupted regardless by a familiar voice that sent shivers down Lithuania's spine.

"You should know better than to leave your family behind, my little Litva."

* * *

 **As always, reviews are greatly appreciated, I want to know your opinion! Did you like this chapter? Think it was too long? Notice any major grammatical errors? Were there any parts that particularly stuck out to you? Either way, let me know! Reviews make me happy and give me motivation to write faster :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks to LunaTheBlackWolf and PolandsPonyIsTheCutest for your reviews last chapter! Seriously guys, it means so much!**

 **I hope you all enjoy this chapter :)**

* * *

"You should know better than to leave your family behind, my little Litva."

Goosebumps rose on the back of Lithuania's neck. He slowly turned to face the tall, scarf-wearing man who, although smiling, had a wild, almost insane glint in his eyes. The Lithuanian pulled Poland, who was now starting to wake, tighter to his chest. Russia's eyes narrowed as they fell onto the small blond. Lithuania could feel adrenaline course through his veins.

"I'm glad this little trip of yours was fun, Litva, but it is time to come home. Now."

Poland, now fully awake and aware, glared at the Russian man."What the hell are you doing here? He's not going anywhere with you, you big creep. Right, Liet?"

Lithuania looked at his Polish friend, who had an expectant look on his face, and back at Russia, who continued to glare at the two nations. Well, he already came this far, why not at least try to reason with the man?

"Mr. Russia, can't you just let me go, for the sake of my happiness? You once called me your friend, remember that? Friends want their friends to be happy."

Russia gave him a cold glare. "Nyet! Friends don't leave each other behind. You haven't been a very good friend, Litva, but I am willing to forgive if you come back with me now."

Despite the cold temperatures, Lithuania began to feel his palms get clammy under his gloves. "Please, Mr. Russia, this isn't just for me. Poland has been forced to sleep outside, and I need to help him get to a warm, safe place so he won't freeze. Will you at least let me do that?" Russia gave the blond a death glare, who returned it in equal measure.

"As I have told you before, Poland is none of your concern, neither is he mine. You will come home with me right now whether you like it or not."

"Are you, like, deaf? He said he doesn't want to go with your creepy ass!" exclaimed Poland. This seemed to be too much for the Russian, who lunged forward, grabbing Lithuania by the hair, and pulling him outside. Lithuania let out a cry of pain and surprise, and Poland screamed, gripping onto the brunet with all of his, admittedly limited, strength as he was being pulled away.

"Mr. Russia, please stop! It hurts!" Lithuania cried out. He fought to get out of the Russian's grip, but only succeeded in making him angrier.

"Nyet! You are going back home!" He bellowed.

"Take your hands off of Liet right now, you bastard!" Poland shrieked, still keeping his grip on Lithuania, despite only succeeding in being dragged along as well. It was like watching a Chihuahua play tug and war with a Great Dane.

However, this game ended when Russia shoved the small blond, already weakened by the cold and lack of food, hard onto the ground, causing him to let out a cry of pain.

"Poland!" Lithuania exclaimed, desperately reaching out for his best friend. Russia yanked on his dark locks harder, towards the horse still where he left it, and picked up the smaller man, sitting him down on the horse, before jumping on himself. Russia placed the Lithuanian in front to better keep his iron grip on him and to stop the struggling nation from escaping. As rode away from the property, Lithuania heard Prussia's booming voice behind them, and craned his neck to try to see what was happening.

"Mein Gott, what the hell is all this noise? Can't a man lay his awesome head down for five minutes?" He called out in irritation. He looked towards Russia and Lithuania's direction, and narrowed his eyes. As he started to head toward their direction to figure out what the hell they were doing on his property, he was stopped by Poland, who grabbed his ankle and must have said something to anger him. He glared down at the blond and picked him up, roughly throwing him back in the stable, and locking the door behind him.

"You're more trouble than you're worth, you know that? I don't even know why I keep you around." Prussia shouted at the duo riding off in the other direction."Next time you step on my land, you better take this unawesome loser with you." He gestured to the stable behind him. He would have chased them down, but they were leaving and he really wasn't in the mood to run all over Europe trying to catch them on only four hours of sleep, and his time was too precious to be spent on such unawesomeness.

Watching the scene behind him, Lithuania tried to fight back bitter tears, but failed. As he felt Russia's strong arms wrap around his torso to keep him in place, he cried for his best friend, he cried for having his chance of freedom snatched away, but most of all, he cried because he knew he was a failure, in every sense of the word.

* * *

Russia was beyond livid, he couldn't remember a time in his life when he felt more angry than he did right now. The entire way home, he waited patiently for his Litva to apologize for his actions, for leaving him behind after everything he did for him. But for all his waiting, he got nothing.

The entire way home was nothing but dead silence, with the exception of Lithuania's occasional sobs. The brunet even had the audacity to shoot him glares out of the corners of his eyes when he thought he wasn't looking, as if _he_ was in the wrong.

After returning home, he again took Lithuania by the hair, ignoring his cries of pain, and practically shoved him inside the door. His eyes narrowed when he was met with the sight of his treacherous older sister, who looked back at him in relief, which quickly turned into fear as she saw his expression and Lithuania beside him.

"Brother, why are you pulling Lithuania around by his hair? You're going to hurt him like that." Russia gave his sister a withering glare.

"Litva here needs to be taught a lesson. Maybe some pain will teach him right from wrong. Sister, where is my pipe?" Ukraine's eyes widened at this and Russia could feel Lithuania began to shake under his grip.

"W-what is he talking about?" he asked. Ukraine simply shook her head, not taking her eyes off of her brother.

"Please don't do this, Ivan, he's your friend! Friends don't hurt each other. He's sorry. You're sorry, right Lithuania?" Lithuania simply continued to shake, starting to get a pretty good idea of what was about to happen.

"He already had many chances to apologize, yet he took none of them. Now he must face the consequences of his actions."

Tears started to stream down Ukraine's face. "Please, don't hurt him, this is my fault! If you have to hurt someone, hurt me."

Russia sighed. "I am not happy with you either, but you are not the one who left me behind. Now, get me my pipe or both of you will be punished." It was an idle threat, the Russian man knew he could never hit his sister, but he was starting to lose his patience.

"O-Okay," she finally acquiesced, her cheeks still glistening with tears. A minute after she walked away, Estonia and Latvia came downstairs to see a livid Russia and a shaking Lithuania.

"M-Mr. Russia, Lithuania, you're back!" Estonia said with all the false cheer he could muster, in an attempt to diffuse the tension. Latvia simply stared back and forth between the two, afraid to open his mouth and say the wrong thing. Both Baltics were met with an icy glare.

"Both of you, back to your room, now." Russia commanded. The two younger Baltics froze in fear.

"W-What?" asked Latvia. Just then, Ukraine came back downstairs with a pipe in her hands. She shakily walked over and handed Russia the weapon.

"Please, Brother, I'm begging you to reconsider. I know you're angry, but this isn't the way to handle it!"

"You think I want to do this, Sister? If I don't, he's going to leave me again, and soon the rest of you will follow... I don't have a choice! Now go, all of you, I have made up my mind."

Latvia looked from the terrified looking Ukraine and Lithuania, to the pipe now in Russia's hands, and started to put two and two together. _Oh my God, he's going to beat Lithuania and this is all my fault!_ Before his brain could talk him out of it, he placed himself in between the Lithuanian and the Russian.

"Please don't hurt Lithuania, sir! I-I know what he did was wrong, but he was just worried about his friend getting hurt. Wouldn't you do the same for one of your sisters, if you thought they were in danger?"

"Latviya, get out of the way, and go to your room. I will not tell you again," The Russian man said in a low, cold voice.

Estonia then walked over to join Latvia, now shaking almost as badly as Lithuania was at the moment.

"M-Mr. Russia, Lithuania meant no harm. This wasn't an act of disobedience or abandonment, it was an act of desperation. It was stupid, but you can't beat stupidity out of people and, well, it would be pointless to try." As he was saying all of this, it almost felt like someone else was talking, and he was just listening, a passive observer. He didn't know what possessed him to stand up to Russia, maybe it was Latvia's courage, maybe it was because he couldn't help but pity the trembling Lithuania, who he still cared for despite disagreeing with his choices, but it made him feel strong, like a man. When was the last time he could say that?

He looked over at the oldest Baltic who had gratitude in his eyes, silently thanking him. The Estonian gave him a small smile in return.

However, this seemed to put Russia over the edge, who then brought his pipe down on Estonia and Latvia, with Latvia putting his arms above his head to shield himself. Estonia only barely managed to avoid the hit, just pushing himself and the younger Baltic out of the way before the pipe could make contact with their flesh.

"Estonia, Latvia!" cried out Lithuania in horror.

Russia then proceeded to grab the two younger Baltics by their shirts and his sister by her arm and throw them into a nearby closet, locking the door.

"You will be let out when me and Litva are done, da?"

He then turned his murderous glare to the shaking Lithuanian, the pipe in his hands.

"Remove your shirt."

* * *

Lithuania shrieked as the pipe struck him again. Russia ignored his cries of pain, along with the screams of protest coming from the closet. They all acted like this was his fault, like he wanted to do this! He wasn't the one who left. He wasn't the one who abandoned his family for some blond twit. He gave Lithuania and the rest of them a place to stay, made sure they had food, and cared for them like a mother would her own children, and only asked for loyalty and friendship in return.

Of course, making friends was never easy for him…

* * *

 _Little Russia was crying after being attacked yet again by the Teutonic Knights. Their personification in particular was relentless in his pursuit of Russia, who had no one except his sisters to defend him, and they were just as powerless as he was. "Maybe, if I had some friends, they wouldn't pick on me so much." He said to himself._

 _Just then, a cute little hamster walked up to where he sat, looking up at him with a curious expression._

 _"_ _Hm? Are you alone, too?" The hamster looked up at the nation with its beady black eyes and cocked it's head, which Russia took as a yes. "I want some friends too. Come here!" He smiled, reaching his hands out to pick the little thing up._

 _"_ _You'll be my frie-" the hamster smacked the child's hand away before scurrying off, leaving Russia alone once again._

* * *

Russia rose his pipe again, before striking the smaller nation. _How could I expect you to care about me when even a damn hamster didn't want me?_

* * *

 _"_ _Well, well, if it ain't that Russia kid! Your time is up! Pledge your loyalty to me!" said the personification of the Teutonic Knights. The reckless child wasn't paying attention to the fact that he was standing on a thin sheet of ice, so Russia decided to kindly point it out to him._

 _"_ _I think you should think about the current conditions of the area before picking a fight," he warned. At that, the child simply laughed._

 _"_ _Like I care about that! Now, taste my Holy Blade!" The child raised his sword, and lunged towards Russia._

 _"_ _Wait, stop!" the Russian child cried out, but was powerless to do anything but watch as the personification fell through the ice._

* * *

As his rage and frustration continued to build, Russia released another blow to the Lithuanian, causing blood to splatter onto his clothes and the floor. Lithuania let out an ear piercing scream. _It wasn't my fault! It's not my fault!_

He thought of the tenderness in Lithuania's eyes as he watched that blond idiot sleep on his shoulder. _Why do you never look at me like that?_

He struck the brunet again, ignoring his sobs. _You don't care about me! You never will!_

Just as he was about to hit Lithuania yet again, he made the mistake of actually looking at him for a second and was immediately pulled out of his blind rage at the sight below him. Lithuania was lying on the floor, his entire back bathed in blood, along with everything in near proximity. His sobs were starting to get quieter, as if he no longer had the strength to scream.

Shocked, the bloody pipe slipped from Russia's fingers on to the floor, causing even more of a mess, but that was the last thing he was worried about at the moment. He looked down at his hands, and felt like crying when he saw they were too stained with blood.

 _I-I never meant to go that far, I just wanted to teach him a lesson. Oh God, what have I done?_

Holding back his tears- he didn't deserve to cry-, he walked over to the closet where he had locked his family in, and let them out, silencing their cries of protest. When they saw the scene in front of them, they stared in shock.

"Oh God," murmured Ukraine, putting her hand over her mouth.

"I-I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me." He looked back over at the bleeding nation and winced.

"Please, go take care of him. Make… make him better, if you can." Estonia and Latvia rushed over to their fellow Baltic and Russia walked towards the kitchen.

"I need a drink."

* * *

All Lithuania knew at the moment was pain. His entire back was on fire, and he could feel the warm, thick blood oozing from his cuts and sticking to his skin. Every single bone in his body felt like it was shattered into a million pieces. Through his eyes blurred with tears, he could see three figures approaching him frantically.

Two of the figures, Ukraine and Latvia, were both sobbing loudly.

"Lithuania!" exclaimed Latvia, who was rushing over to the crying brunet.

"I-I'm sorry, Lithuania, I tried to stop him! I should've tried harder… Oh, God, this is my fault! " she cried out, breaking down into hysterics. The tallest of the three, Estonia, grabbed her roughly by the shoulders.

"Calm down, Ukraine! If you want to help, go get me the first aid kit, it's in the bathroom. Hurry!"

Ukraine took a minute to pull herself together before she nodded though her tears and ran off. Estonia rushed over to Lithuania, grabbing his wrist in order to feel his pulse, and cursed when he noticed it was slowing down.

"Can you hear me, Lithuania?" he asked the brunet, who only whimpered in response.

"H-he's going to be okay, right Estonia?" asked Latvia, who had his arms wrapped around the oldest Baltic, not even caring about the blood for once.

"Latvia, I want you to go upstairs and go to bed," replied Estonia, never once taking his eyes of of the brunet.

"No, I'm not leaving my big brother! I'm going to stay here, and you can't tell me not to!"

"Latvia! Go upstairs, now! He wouldn't want you to see him like this!" Estonia exclaimed. _God damnit, Ukraine, hurry up! If you don't, he might… not…_

"He might die, Latvia! Do you really want to see your big brother die?" At this, Latvia stopped crying and just gave the bespectacled nation a stunned look.

"Okay, I hope it has everything you need, I grabbed a bottle of vodka from the kitchen to clean the wounds." Ukraine rushed back into the living room, handing Estonia everything she had.

"Thank you," he replied back while beginning to treat Lithuania's wounds.

"If you need anything else, please, don't hesitate to ask. I'm going to go keep an eye on my brother, I'm the only person he listens too when he's like this." Estonia nodded as she left.

He quickly splashed some vodka on a rag before dabbing the open wounds as gently as possible. Despite this, Lithuania let out a particularly loud sob.

"Lithuania!" cried Latvia again, as he embraced the older nation tighter.

"Y-you're not going to die, right? Please don't! You can't leave us again, it's not fair!"

Lithuania could feel himself losing consciousness, which he would welcome with open arms, not only as freedom from his physical pain, but emotional as well. God, it hurts. Did he even know what pain was before this?

He cried out again as Estonia continued to clean his back and wrap him in bandages.

"It hurts, it hurts so much," he replied in a weak voice barely above a whisper.

He thought of Poland, who was still in Prussia's custody and living outside with nothing to keep him warm and no one but the horses to talk to. He thought of how he abandoned his fellow Baltics, including the one staring at him right now with such concern and sadness, the one who called him big brother.

 _If the circumstances were different, it might have been Latvia or Estonia who faced Russia's wrath, because I decided to run away. Hell, it almost was. No matter what I do, I can't do anything right. Maybe… maybe it would just be better for everyone if I went to sleep and never woke up._

Latvia was crying again. "This is my fault! If I hadn't told Russia where you went, you would have been safe and happy with Poland!"

Through his pain and tears, Lithuania smiled at the nation he considered his little brother.

"No Latvia, all of this is my fault, not yours. He was bound to find out eventually. I was the one who ran away, and if I didn't, there would have been nothing to tell. I shouldn't have put that burden on you." If there was one small thing Lithuania could do to try to make up for his abandonment, it would be refusing to let Latvia blame himself. He could feel the empty darkness coming to embrace him, like an old friend greeting him after being away for too long. As he started to close his eyes, he heard another high pitched cry.

"Please don't die, I don't want you to! What am I going to do without my big brother?" Latvia sobbed. "What about Estonia, what about Poland? You have to live!"

"But, I'm a failure. I failed everyone I care about. You both almost got hurt because of me." Lithuania protested.

"You're not a failure! Lithuania, the only way you can fail us is if you die," he sobbed. "I-If you don't want to be a failure, live! Live for us, live for Poland, but most of all, live for yourself! You're such a good person and I love you so much and oh God, please, please don't die!"

After finishing up with the bandages, Estonia chimed in. "He's right, you know, you are a good person. Everything you did, you did it because you thought it was for the best of the people around you. I still don't think it was smart, but I understand why you did it. You just wanted to protect everyone you loved, and who could truly blame you for that?"

Lithuania looked at his fellow Baltics with wide, tearful eyes. "Do you guys really mean that?"

"Of course we do! I love you Big Brother!" Latvia cried. Lithuania made himself try to sit up, and embraced the smaller nation in his arms, with Estonia soon joining in as well. These were the people who stood by him, who placed themselves in between him and an angry Russia, risking their own safety in the process. He still felt awful, and probably would for a while, he would live, and he would get through it. As he thought this, the darkness was starting to fade away to make room for the light. He sat up and embraced his brothers on the bloody floor of a dark cold mansion.

Death will come for him one day, to shroud him in its eternal, peaceful darkness. But not today.

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 **So, this story is almost done. I only have one more chapter planned, just a short little epilogue, which I'd like to say will be up in a few days, but I honestly don't know. I'll have it up as soon as I can.**

 **Other than that, leave a review and tell me what you think! I've been looking forward to writing this chapter ever since I knew how the story was going to end. I hope it wasn't too graphic, I don't think it was, but everyone has different thresholds. Also, please let me know if it was confusing to read at any point. I tried to avoid that by separating Russia's flashbacks from his actions, but I don't know if I did a good enough job with it.**

 **Thanks for reading and have a nice day :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Thanks to LunaTheBlackWolf for your review last chapter :)**

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It was the middle of the night when Latvia woke up with his stomach growling, and it was only then that he realized he hadn't eaten anything the entire day, due to everything that happened. He looked over at his brothers, still fast asleep. Lithuania was sleeping on his stomach on the couch, the bloody bandages on his back covered from view with a thick blanket. He didn't have quite enough strength to walk upstairs yet, and decided that the couch would have been more comfortable anyway. Estonia was sleeping on the floor next to Latvia, his glasses resting on the table next to him. Despite Lithuania's insistence that he would be fine sleeping by himself, Estonia stood firm on keeping an eye on him, and Latvia didn't want to be away from his brothers, not even for one night.

Latvia carefully got up from his makeshift bed of pillows and blankets, not wanting to disturb said brothers, and made his way to the kitchen, hoping to find something to eat. However, he was not the only one who had a similar idea.

The small nation almost screamed when he saw none other than Russia, sitting at the table by himself surrounded by several bottles of vodka. When the Russian man took notice of Latvia's presence, he stared at him with eyes full of pain and regret.

"You couldn't sleep either?"

While Latvia had always been afraid of Russia before, it was mostly because of the rumors he had heard over the years concerning the nation's immense strength and bad temper. However, now that he had witnessed the effects of that strength and temper with his very own eyes, his fear took on a whole new dimension.

"I-I-I'm s-sorry, sir, I-I'll get out of your way, I just wanted to get something but it's not important!" he stuttered out. Latvia started backing towards the door, his legs shaking so violently that he tripped, accidentally knocking over one of Russia's bottles of vodka after trying to stop himself by grabbing the table. Russia ran over to the small boy, holding his hand out when Latvia burst into tears.

"I-I'm so sorry, sir! I-I'll clean this up right away, and then I'll leave you alone, I swear! Please don't hit me!"

Russia immediately pulled his hand back, startled by the nation's response.

"I just wanted to help you up," he said, looking down at the sobbing Baltic. "Are… are you really that afraid of me?"

When Latvia realized he wasn't about to be struck, he stopped crying and looked up at Russia.

"D-do you want me to be afraid of you?"

Russia sighed. "Of course not, Latviya, I never wanted that. Please, sit down, this is your home too," he gestured towards the chair beside him. Hesitantly, Latvia got up off of the floor, careful to avoid the broken glass, and took a seat. Russia walked over to the cupboard, and pulled out a drinking glass. He walked back over to the table, poured some vodka into it, and set it in front of the youngest Baltic.

"Y-you're letting me drink your vodka?" Latvia asked in disbelief. Russia nodded before taking a swig straight from the bottle.

"You look like you could use a drink, da?" he said, smiling sadly. When Latvia continued to look at the drink suspiciously, he added, "It will calm your nerves. Trust me, I've had more than my fair share of stressful nights."

Hesitantly, as though he was afraid he was walking into some sort of trap, Latvia picked up the glass and took a small sip. He gagged a little from the taste, and looked towards the large man, afraid that he had offended him, but Russia simply laughed.

"It takes a bit of getting used to."

Latvia nodded, and took another sip, flinching again. Russia frowned.

"I understand why you're afraid of me, Latviya, even if I wish I didn't. If I were you, I'd be afraid of me too."

He picked up the bottle and took a huge gulp. "I used to be very much like you, small and scared and picked on by bigger countries. I wanted nothing more than to be surrounded by family and friends, safe and happy and never having to worry about someone bigger than me causing me pain. Now, I suppose I'm the one causing the pain." he let out a bitter laugh.

Latvia took another drink, slowly starting to get used to the taste. "You used to be small?"

Russia chuckled. "Yes, little one, I was. Maybe not quite as small as you, but close." Then his expression turned melancholy once again as he looked down at his hands.

"My point is that what happened today… It was because I was afraid."

Latvia eyes widened in disbelief. How could someone as strong and powerful as Russia be scared of anything?

"You were afraid?"

Russia gave the smaller nation a sad smile. "Da, I was. I was afraid of Litva leaving me... of you all leaving me. I'm afraid of being alone, it is not a nice feeling."

As Latvia took another drink, this one greater than the last, he noticed that Russia was right- the alcohol really was starting to calm his nerves.

"I don't like being alone either, Mr. Russia. I was so scared when Lithuania left and when he almost died, there was so much blood and he was screaming..." After noticing what he just said, Latvia put his hands up to cover his mouth, but it was too late.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to say that!" he cried. However, Russia was not angry as he feared he would be. The Russian looked down at his vodka, his lifeline, and shook his head.

"Do not be sorry, little one, I am the one who should be apologizing." he said, a grief-stricken look on his face. "Sometimes when someone does something that scares me, I get angry. I hurt people and I don't mean to, but I do and then they don't want to see me anymore and I'm left alone, again." Tears started to form in the Russian man's eyes and roll down his cheeks.

"Latviya, am I a monster?" The large man looked at the youngest Baltic with such a deep sadness that it seemed his very soul was in agony at the thought.

The youngest Baltic was speechless. He had never seen the Russian man so vulnerable before, and frankly, it kind of scared him. He looked at the sobbing man in front of him, drowning his sorrows in alcohol, and thought back to just a few hours ago when the same man was holding a pipe stained with Lithuania's blood. How a person could change so quickly was baffling to him. Yet still, Russia was both: vulnerable and violent. Latvia took another gulp of vodka before he answered.

"Well, I don't think so, Mr. Russia. I mean, when I think of a monster, I think of someone who will hurt people for no reason other than they want to, and they won't feel bad about it or try to fix it. I-I don't really understand why you had to hurt Lithuania, but I don't think you meant to hurt him like you did, and you seem to wish you didn't," Latvia said, the vodka taking away his apprehension.

Russia gave the smaller nation a tearful smile. "Thank you, Latviya. I-I just hope that Litva is as forgiving as you."

"Well, he forgave me for telling you about where he ran away to. Maybe he'll forgive you too."

Russia let out a sigh. "This is a bit different than that, little one."

"Well, maybe he just needs a little time, but I'm sure as long as you're sorry, he'll forgive you eventually," Latvia offered.

He wasn't sure about that, thinking of the sheer terror on Lithuania's face when he was dragged into the house, and then his cries of pain as he was being beaten. But Latvia hopped he would. He didn't want the tension that this event would surely bring, didn't want to see Russia cry or watch Lithuania live in fear even more than he already did. He just wanted everything to be normal again, if he could ever truly call his life normal.

The large man sighed. "I hope so. I… I hope we can all get past this, if that's possible. I don't want anyone to leave me. I-I can't be alone... I just can't."

Latvia again thought of how close he was to losing his older brother for good, of being forced to live with the knowledge that he would have been at least partially responsible, and then having to worry if the next stupid thing he said or done would have caused him to be next. He picked up his drink again, only to find that it was empty. Russia noticed this and picked up the glass bottle.

"Would you like some more?"

Latvia nodded and watched as the Russian man filled the glass to the brim.

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 **Well, I hope you liked this story! It was fun to write, for the most part. I'm considering making my next multichapter fic about what Poland was doing during this time, if enough people are interested. So, if that's something you would want, or if you have any other suggestions, let me know in a review! I'll also probably put a poll up on my profile.**

 **Other than that, thanks to my beta reader Midna3452 and to everyone who reviewed, faved, followed, or even just read this story! You guys kept me going!**


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